Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



vma.)

JAMES LEE.

Improvement in Breach-loading Fire-arms.

Patented Jan. 16, 1872.

- Afir/Mifflin.

move the hammerfrom the firing-pin.

ATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LEE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN vBREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,772, dated January 16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LEE, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsiin'have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, ref erence beinghadto the accompanying drawings making part of this specification and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a side view of the breech mechanism of the arm with half of the frame, barrel,`and breech removed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the various parts when loading.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like parts ofthe arm in both of the drawings.

My invention relates, first, to the attachment of the hammer to the breech-block, said breech-block being hinged at its rear end to the frame of the arm or gun. My invention further relates to the combination of the mainspring, hammer, and breech-block, said mainspring, in addition to its duty as a mainspring, also serving to keep the hammer and breechblock in their relative working positions, and to keep the firing-pin in the breech-block. My invention further relates to the construction and operation of a two-part hammer with an articulated joint between them, and secured together by a pin or screw, so that one part m ay have a slight movement independent of the other part, and so that the iirst of the forward movement of the upper part shall impart a backward movement to the under part to re- My invention further relates to the combination of the breech-block, hammer, trigger, and triggerspring, so that the nose of the trigger shall, by pressing against the hammer, hold up the breech-block, whether the hammer be down or at the full-cock.

To enable others skilled in the art. to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A represents the barrel and B the frame of a breech-loadin g iire-arm. U is a breech-block, hinged at its rear end, at about the point a, to the frame B of the arm. From both of the rear sides of the breech-block C project downward lugs D, to which is hinged, as at b, the hammer, composed of two parts, E F, with an artwo parts being connected by a screw or pin, d,

(in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) projecting through the part E and into a slightly-elongated opening, e, in the part F. The rounded portion f of the hammer, when said hammer is drawn back to the full-cock, moves against or in close proximity to the rounded cut-away portion g under the frame. In the breech-block c is arranged the firing-pin h, and to prevent said firing-pin from dropping out or getting out of place the bent end c' ofthe mainspring G passes through the lower portion of the breech-block and projects into a recess at j in the iiring-pin, and thus keeps it in the breech-block.. rIhe other or lower end of the mainspring G rests in a notch or recess, la, in the under portion E of the hammer, and thus, by bearing one end against the breech-block and the other-end against the hammer, it keeps the two, though pivoted together at Vb, in their proper positions. The trigger H is pivoted to theframe B at Z, and has a tri gger-spring, m, bearing against it at n to hold its nose o up to or against (as the case may be) the projection p on the under side of the portion E of the hammer. When the breech-block is closed, as in Fig. l, it is held up in its closed position by the action of the trigger and spring m bearing against the proje'ction p, and this, too, whether the hammer be down or against the breech-block or at the full-cock. When the hammer iiies by the pulling of the trigger its face q strikes the rear of the firing-pin, and, driving it forward, it in turn strikes and explodes the cartridge. The arm in this position-viz., after being red, and the hammer bearing against the iring-pin and breech-block-could not be opened up for recharging, as the breech-block wouldbelocked by the projecting end r of the firing-pin. To obviate this is one of the important features of my invention. The breech-block is swung downward to open up the bore of the arm, and it is moved down by pressing against the rear portion ofthe thumb-piece Fl of the hammer. This pressing forward of the thumb-piece, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig.1, moves the portion F of the hammer upon its articulated joint c until the pin d catches it, and then, by continuing the pressure upon the thumb-piece, the under portion E of the hammer is moved backward, removing its face q from the firingpin, which releases the latter, so that when iis point?I comes against the rear of the barrel, bore,

or frame, said firing-pin will slip back into the breech-block and allow the latter to drop; or the firing-pin, after the face q of the hammer is removed from it by pressing forward the thumb-piece, may be retracted by a spring or otherwise; but if not held out positively it will freely slip back of itself' when it comes against any intervening piece or part of the arm. It will be perceived thatthe breech-block and hammer swing bodily together, being united and moving on a common center of motion; but the mainspring Gr, which is supported, one end on the breech-block and the other' end on the hammer, does not move bodily with lthe descent ofthe hammer, and is not liable to be thrown out of its bearings, as it is slightly compressed in its bearings. The breech-block, hammer, and mainspring can all be removed together without disturbing their relative positions by taking out the pin that the breechblock swings on, which, for cleaning or repairs, is quite important.

The operation of the arm is as follows: First, by pressing on or against the back of the thumbpiece I1" of the hammer (which has a slight movement forward previous to the opening of the breech) it moves the under part of the hammer E rearward and draws the face q of the hammer away from the firing-pin 7i, which allows the breech-block c to swing open with ease by continuing the pressure on the back of the thumb-piece F. To close the breech pull or draw on the thumb-piece of the hammer, as in the act of cooking, which will rst raise the breech to a closed position, and by continuing that motion will cock the arm.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure Y stantially as described.

3. I also claim the hammer, made of two parts, substantially as described, with an articulated joint between the-m, and secured together by a pin or screw, so that one part may have a slight movement independent of the other'part, and so that the first of the forward movement of the upper part shall impart aA rearward movement of the under part to remove the hammer from the firing-pin, as and for the purpose described.

4. I also claim the combination ofthe breechblock, hammer, trigger, and trigger-spring, when made of the form and arranged as described, whereby the nose of the trigger is pressed up against the hammer to hold thel breech up in its closed position, whether the hammer be down or at the full-cock, substanstantially as described.

- JAMES LEE.

Witnesses GEORGE LEE, SAM. M. DIXON. 

